Things Unsaid
by RookZ
Summary: Set during the Avengers. Another "what if Pepper answered the phone when Tony called her" one-shot. Read & review please! May be more than a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, it's been a few years since I've written anything but I watched the Avengers last night and felt inspired for some reason. This is another one of those "what if Pepper answered the phone" oneshots. May add more if the inspiration sticks :) **** Let me know what you think.**

* * *

Tony felt his muscles strain as held on tightly to the missile and guided it around buildings towards the big, alien-infested gap in the sky. _Damn, this isn't going to be any fun_, he thought to himself.

He'd rather not think about the current predicament he was in and what the likely outcome was going to be. He always thought himself too selfish to make the move he was currently making, but he was full of surprises. _And what a hell of a surprise this all turned out to be_, he mused.

Pepper was going to be so pissed at him. He wouldn't be surprised if she personally dragged him out of the pits of hell to give him an earful about his actions. She would be proud though, that much he was sure about. Once she got past all the hurt of losing him, she would understand why this had to be done. At least he hoped so…

Tony Stark was never one to be called sentimental. But he was heading towards his certain death, wasn't he allowed a little slack? He already missed her and this was not the way he expected to make his exit. Although, he could still admit that this still ranks pretty high on the coolness factor when it comes to making dramatic exits. This one will be for the record books.

She wouldn't see it that way, but he doesn't expect her to be very understanding about any of this for a good while. He wanted to explain it to her but he was on a time constraint, and even if he had all the time in the world, he still wouldn't know where to start. So many things will be left unsaid between them, things he wished he would have said before heading out on this mission. Yeah, he was definitely in total sap mode now. If only she could see him now.

"Sir, shall I call Miss Potts?"

Tony snapped back to reality as Jarvis broke in with his question. He tightened his grip on the missile and let out a resigned sigh as he could see the gap -and his certain death- getting closer.

"You might as well," he responded, squeezing his eyes shut for just a second and wondering how he was going to tell her everything he needed her to hear.

* * *

Pepper leaned forward slightly, almost to the edge of her seat as she watched the current battle raging in New York from the safety of the Stark jet. Her breath caught as she watched all the damage and explosions tearing apart the city. To say she was worried was an understatement. If her employees weren't surrounding her, she would surely be seconds away from tearing her hair out in frustration at not knowing how Tony was doing.

Being Iron Man's girlfriend didn't have many downsides, but it did have the biggest one of all. She's lost count on how many times she's been sick with worry over him. The overwhelming fear that one day he may not come home from one of his missions is always in the back of her mind. The current chaos was certainly not helping her keep the fear at bay.

She almost jumped out of her seat as her phone disrupted her train of thought and caught the attention of everyone in the vicinity. She looked at the screen and quickly snatched at the phone when she saw Tony's smiling face on the display. Her hands almost fumbled the phone right out of her grasp as she worked on answering him.

"Tony! Where are you?! Are you okay?!" She shouted into the phone, ignoring the worried looks she was getting from everyone around her. The looks on her employee's faces looked pretty grim and she can only imagine how she looked like in her desperation.

She heard ragged breathing on the other end and waited impatiently for a response.

"Hey Pep," his tired response finally came through, filling her with a renewed sense of worry. Despite the weary condition he seemed to be in, she could still hear a small smile in his voice.

"Tony, are you okay?" she repeated. "Please tell me you're okay."

"Listen, Pep, I don't have much time but I want you to kn-"

"Tony, what's going on? What do you mean there's not much time?" She couldn't help but interrupt him. She needed to know he was okay and was coming home as soon as the whole mess was cleared up. She glanced at the TV and saw the continued battle worsening as more 'aliens' landed in the city. The situation seemed to be escalating very quickly.

"Pepper, please just listen ok?"

She felt a stray tear make its way down her face as she heard the resignation in his voice. He had a tone she's never heard from him before and it let her know that things were not going to be okay any time soon.

"Ok," she whispered quietly, gripping the phone firmly like her life depended on it.

* * *

Tony sucked in a breath as he headed towards his upward trajectory and ultimate destination. A lump formed in his threat as he furiously worked on trying to find a way to tell her everything in less than the 20 seconds he had left. The flickering lights in the display in front and Jarvis's crackling voice let him know that his suit was in the beginning stages of failing him. He could see himself quickly approaching the gap.

"Pepper, I don't think I'm coming home." There was no time to sugar coat it. _I need more time_, Tony thought desperately. _I need to tell her…_

"Tony…" Her broken voice came through the speaker and it struck him to the core. He could already hear her mourning him and he hated it. Dying was nothing to him, but hurting her was a whole different thing. It was something he had tried very hard not to do ever since they became something more.

"Pepper, I'm so sorry. I lov-" His suit shut down and went dark as he shot past the gap and into the other side with the missile. Everything seemed to slow down as he finally let go of the missile and it headed straight to the cluster of ships that were trying to make its way to Earth.

"No," Tony huffed out as his oxygen became scarce. He could feel his suit freeze up and himself slowly float backwards towards the portal that connected the two worlds. His eyes began to water and he couldn't tell if it was from the pressure around him or the fact that he had failed Pepper.

A big flash went off in front of him and he shut his eyes in relief that he had at least succeeded in one thing.

Pepper stared at the phone in front of her and held her hand over her mouth in an attempt to hold back the cries that desperately wanted to be let out.

Tony was gone, just like that. Tears were free flowing at this point now and she made no effort to stop them. Murmurs of concern swept the people around her and she felt her assistant pat her consolingly in a meager attempt to comfort her. Nothing would be able to help her now. There were so many things she needed to tell him.

She needed Tony.

* * *

**I think we can all agree that it was crime that Pepper had her phone on vibrate that day. But I'm slightly ok with it because so many awesome stories resulted from it. Reviews are like candy and I really like candy :). I think it may be another crime to leave this as a one-shot… I can't decide. Sorry for any mistakes, I'm barely shaking off the ****cobwebs.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, here you go!**

**Quick note: English isn't my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes you may stumble upon.**

* * *

"You're one scary son of a bitch sometimes, you know that right?" Tony huffed, sending the Hulk a wary look as he tried to move to a seated position. "I'm not kidding, if one of you kissed me, you're going to have one angry Pepper to answer to. She's the jealous type."

The Hulk let out a loud grunt that could have been mistaken for a chuckle if one was listening hard enough.

"Is Banner going to come out and play any time soon? We all have a shawrama date and I don't think the restaurant lets big green Hulks inside. Nothing personal of course, it's just standard business practice. Plus, I don't think you'll fit through the front door." Tony managed to lift himself on an elbow, but that's as far as he got before the fatigue of the battle really started to kick in. He really needed to get off the ground if he was going to reach Pepper and let her know he wasn't really dead. He felt like dead weight though and couldn't muster enough energy to even stand.

"You almost died. I think your dinner plans can wait for now. We still have work to do," Steve cut in, crossing his arms and giving Tony a hard stare. "Nice move with the missile by the way."

"Thanks. My brilliance has a knack for saving the world. Mind helping me up?" Tony held out his hand to the three unorthodox team members that stood before him.

Thor let out a guffaw. "The metal man asking for help? 'Tis a rare sight to behold."

The Hulk stepped forward before Tony could mount any kind of protest and lifted him up like he was a limp ragdoll.

"Whoa, buddy! Careful now."

Tony squirmed in the Hulk's grasp as the green beast tried to set him on his feet as gracefully as he could. Tony felt his legs wobble slightly as he attempted to stand on his own two feet. He reached out an arm towards the Hulk to steady himself as he was released from his hold. He tried not to show how worn out he was, but almost dying would sap the energy out of anyone. Maybe if he weren't so tired, he would have been able to hide it better.

"Maybe it's best we send him home," Thor suggested, eyeing Tony with concern. "His fair maiden awaits and he could use a rest."

"And let you guys clean up this mess by yourselves?" Tony cut in. "Someone needs to supervise you three." The first thing he wanted to do is see Pepper, but he couldn't show them how physically worn out he truly was. He would try to see the mission through to the end.

Steve rolled his eyes. "I see your ego wasn't affected in the least from your near death."

"A couple of scuffs here and there," Tony replied rather dramatically. "But my ego will live on."

He placed a hand to the side of his suit where he was feeling the most soreness and glanced at his surroundings. The city was a disaster area. It would take awhile to get cleanup efforts coordinated and carried out. He could hear sirens in the distance as the police and National Guard moved in to do their job.

Tony screwed his eyes shut and let out a long sigh. He felt awful as everything that happened started to finally to sink in. He almost died and -worst yet- he almost lost Pepper. He'd be damned if he let this second chance go to waste. His ego could take a couple of more needed hits. She needed to know he was still alive as soon as possible; he owed her at least that much after all this mess.

"I changed my mind," Tony finally spoke, turning to the other Avengers. "I have to go home." He had a fierce look in his eyes that let the others know who he had on his mind. They were definitely not going to stop him.

"Rest, my friend," Thor agreed. "It was an honor to fight by your side. You've earned your leave."

"I better hope I earned it, I almost died."

Steve let out an exasperated sigh. "Go home, Stark."

Hulk let out a growl and punched the ground in what looked like agreement. Or at least Tony thought it looked like agreement.

"Tell Natasha and Fury I'm taking vacation time. I think a year should be enough to recover from this traumatic event, right?" Tony made his way unsteadily towards the Stark building. His suit was completely useless and he was glad the Stark building was only a short walk away.

"Fury is going to want a debriefing with everyone," Steve called after him, always the stickler for rules.

"Tell him to set an appointment," Tony shouted back. "Oh, don't forget about shawrama!"

* * *

_Making repairs for this suit is going to be fun_, Tony thought sourly as random sparks shot out with every other step he took. _This time I'm going to make it space proof_.

He kicked some random debris out of the way and wondered how in the world the city was going to recover from the destruction. Trash filled the streets and, every so often, he would spot a random fire in the surrounding buildings or an overturned car that was ruined. He could only wonder at the number of casualties. He could have been among them.

_And Pepper would have been left alone_, Tony thought depressingly. Even though the thought was terrible to think about, he knew she would have moved on eventually. She would have found a different guy who wouldn't make her constantly worry about being hurt -or worse. In a way, it was a bit selfish of him to put her through this kind of turmoil.

"She deserves better," he spoke aloud to no one in particular. His own words seemed to echo in his ears and made him feel even worse about the current situation. He would never leave her though, as long as she still wanted him. A better person would have let her be, but not Tony Stark. As much as he hated to admit it—and would never speak about it out loud—he needed her. It was something he had come to terms with early in their relationship. Hell, if he really thought about it, he had needed her as soon as she was hired many years ago.

He rounded the corner and finally caught sight of his own building. Or what was left of it.

She should have arrived already if his calculations were right- and they always were.

He figured Pepper was already on her way back when he made the call and no doubt she had rushed even more after the way their phone call had ended.

With a grim determination, Tony picked up his pace and nearly set off in a jog down the street. He needed to get out of his damn suit and find Pepper.

* * *

Pepper paced back and forth in Tony's office as she surveyed the destruction in the room.

She had no tears left. They had been spent during the rest of the flight and drive over to the building. To keep her mind clear, she was putting forth effort on the renovations that would surely be needed on the Stark building. She made a mental note to meet with the board members to plan the next move for the company. She was in business mode and would not let herself fall apart. It's not something that Tony would have wanted.

_But what would Tony have me do now?_ She wondered sadly. While she refused to be swallowed by the deep hole of depression that was looming under her, Pepper was at a complete loss as to what to do next.

The funeral, for example.

How do you plan a funeral for a beloved hero and icon? And, most importantly, a man she loved and cared for very deeply? This was not only her loss; it was the worlds as well.

She let out a deep sigh as a stray tear made its way down her right cheek. Maybe she wasn't done quite yet. Maybe not for awhile…

Pepper huffed in frustration and sank down on the surprisingly, pristine white couch in the lounge area. With her face in her trembling hands, she felt her heart speed up as well as her breathing. It was like a twisting in her chest. Someone had a hold of her heart and was gripping with great force.

"Damn it, Tony," she sobbed into her hands. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go."

She looked toward the ceiling as if expecting some kind of response—a sign. She received nothing and felt the hole trying to suck her in deeper. It felt like a losing battle.

"Ow!"

Pepper's head snapped up as she heard scuffling behind the oak doors that led to the staircase. A series of thuds followed that set her on edge and made her wonder if there was someone else present on the floor -something alien. Police and security had assured her that the building had been emptied, but it was clear something had been missed.

She stood slowly and began to back away as the loud thuds came closer to the door. She could only hazard a guess as to what it was and it was not a very pleasant one.

Suddenly, a loud bang rang through the air as the door was almost removed from the hinges. The door swung open freely as thumps echoed throughout the room.

A haggard and very alive Tony Stark stumbled through the doorway. He appeared out of breath and sickly looking. His hand applied pressure to his chest in a vain effort to alleviate some of the pain he was feeling. The neoprene suit he was wearing was drenched in sweat and had a series of tears that showcased some very nasty cuts and bruises. He seemed to be favoring his left side as he limped forward in measured steps.

Despite all this, he still had the same dazzling smile on his face that had captivated Pepper from the very beginning.

"Believe it or not, but half of these injuries are from those stairs," Tony joked weakly, attempting to close the distance between himself and a shell-shocked Pepper. He looked one second away from tipping over and passing out.

She must be hallucinating. He was here. He was alive.

"Tony," she whispered in disbelief, a fresh wave of tears threatening to overtake her.

She moved forward quickly and came to a stop only a few inches away from him. Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch his face, to make sure he wasn't an illusion.

"Pep." Tony closed his eyes as her hand made contact with his cheek. His breath hitched in his chest at the thought of all he could have lost.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. You came back," she responded, finally pulling him into a tight embrace. She pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and let her tears soak the shoulder of his suit.

"Always," Tony whispered. He tightened his grip on her and breathed in the scent that belonged only to his Pepper. _God, how he missed her._

He pulled away slightly and ran his thumb at the tears that were coursing down her face. Leaning in, he captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss that told her everything that his words could not. He put forth all of himself and refrained from flinching in pain as Pepper pulled at him, drawing him closer. It served as proof that she needed him as much as he did her. It was an unspoken agreement between them.

The need for air finally broke the two apart. Tony leaned his forehead against Pepper's and grinned down at her.

"So, miss me much, Miss Potts?"

"I miss you showering," Pepper replied cheekily. Her face switched to concern as she fully took in his condition. "You need a hospital."

"Oh no," Tony replied adamantly. "I will not survive a second round with those stairs. You can take care of me. I have this nurses outfit I've-"

"Tony, I'm not wearing the outfit."

He pouted, "And here I thought almost dying actually meant something."

Pepper ignored his comment.

"We need to get you out this suit so I can get a better look at you."

"Naked has always been a better look on me," he quipped, grunting as Pepper helped him to the couch. She eased him down slowly and frowned as Tony let out a low groan.

"Hospital, now. And don't argue with me," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

Tony looked at her through bleary eyes and opened his mouth to argue.

She cut him off before he could even start.

"I'm not losing you," her voice quivered with emotion. "Please."

That last word resonated within him and he had to look away from her intense gaze before he spontaneously combusted. He nodded his head in resignation, too tired to really argue. Completely defeated, he watched as she moved about and made preparations for him to be transported to the hospital.

There were still many things he needed her to hear, but Tony Stark was the last person to profess everything he was feeling to the person that mattered the most. This was always the hardest part for him, even when he was near death. Maybe at the time he felt the need to tell her everything. Now he'd rather spend the rest of their time together—however long that may be- showing her how much she truly mattered to him.

After all, actions speak louder than words.

* * *

**The ending bothers me a bit, not sure why… but anyways, sorry for the wait! I'm leaving this as a two-shot but I'm working on a different story that ties in with this. Reviews are always welcome and encouraging! **


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